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I couldn't find a poem that said what I wanted to say for Mother's Day. So I wrote one. Here it is, this is what I want to say. This is for my own mother, and for all the mothers, especially the ones I know and love. But it's also for you.

Mother

She was caughtsmilingin a net of sleepcushioned in the softness, down and down,diving under, lost in it, turningstretching, weightless, anxiety freeunconscious of desire orloss, unfettered.

untilthe cry. It came from the darkness, razor-like, cuttingthrough the ribbons that suspended her fromher life andshe crashed back downopened her eyes, rubbed them, remembered.hauling herself to her feet,she remembered love,again and again she remembersshe falls out of sleep and into

love, the hopeful eyesthe waiting mouth, the full breastshe holds and soothes and gives the perfect answerI am here, I am exhausted, I am irritated, I am barely awakebut I am here.She will always be herein the night, in the early morningIn the dog-tired noon of the hottest days,for small, soft, little onesfor the big ones, the sun-warmed long limbs and anxious ticsfor gulping and burping and the most annoying questionsto untangle the knots of the arguing siblingsto lose it, and apologize, and sit quietlyto play, sometimes, hopefully

she remembers upon every waking,that love— its ribbons can never be cut—And like a lion she says it again: I am here.